Indorsing device for voting-machines.



W. J. LAUSTERER. INDORSING DEVICE FOR VOTING MACHINES. APPLICATION PILEDMAY 29. 1908.

91 6,337. Patented Mar. 23, 1909.

WITNESSES; 5 I INVENTOR lwflov'fi arc/)1 2/: I flat/6 ferer wunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn m:

UNITED STATES T OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. LAUSTERER, OF JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO EMPIRE VOTINGMACHINE COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER AND JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OFNEW YORK.

INDORSING DEVICE FOR VOTING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 23, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. LAUS- TERER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Jamestown, in the county of Chautauqua and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in IndorsingDevices for Voting-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to improvements in voting machines of thetype such as is shown in patent issued to Lausterer No. 820,802, inwhich type of machine all of the counters are driven simultaneously bythe operation of a curtain lever or similar device. In a machine of thistype it is son? times desirable to couple the counters of indorsedcandidates for simultaneous operation.

This particular invention is an improvement on the particular mechanismshown in the patent of Lausterer 847,416, the arrangement of the partsbeing such that any or all of certain candidate vote counting devicescan be connected together for simultaneous operation.

The improvement also consists in details of construction by which theassembling of the parts is facilitated.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view ofa portion of the counter frame with one of my improved indorsing bars inposition. Fig. 2 is a detail view of one of the bell cranks and itscoupling by which it is connected to the parts which it operates. Fig. 3is a view of a portion of the main supporting bar and the two connectingrods in side elevation.

Similar reference numerals in the several figures indicate similarparts.

In the accompanying drawing reference numeral 1 refers to the top plateof the coun ter frame, and 2 refers to the bottom plate of the counterframe. These plates are slotted in the usual manner and they carrybetween them the counter channels. One of these channels is provided foreach oflice line of voting devices. Each of these counter channelscarries a plurality of two step counters driven by reciprocating palletbars 25 of the type described in the Patent No. 799,556 issued toGillespie. These counter channels are locked in place by the plate 4carried on the plate 1 of the counter frame and by the plate 5 carriedon the plate 2 of the counter frame. The plate 4 is slotted as shown at6, 6, and the plate 5 is also slotted as shown at 7, 7, the holes 6 and7 being arranged uniformly with reference to the counter channels.Between the plates 4 and 5 extend one or more upright bars 8 made of asingle piece of metal, each of which bars is provided with shoulderedends. On the upper end is a rectangular projection of a size suitable toengage with the slot 6 in the plate 4, and on the lower end is a similarprojection of a size suitable to engage with the slot 7 in the plate 5.The projection at the upper end of the bar is longer than the projectionat the lower end for a purpose hereinafter described. This bar is set inplace by inserting the long projection or extension at the top of thebar in the slot 6 in the plate 4, and raising the bar far enough topermit the engagement of the other extension with the plate 7, afterwhich the bar 8 is lowered to its final position, which position isdetermined by the shoulder at the lower end of the bar. The

slots 6 are a little shorter than the slots 7, and i the extensions onthe bar 8 fit their respective slots snugly in both cases so as toprevent inserting the rod upside down.

At regular intervals in the counter channels are placed counters 24 andpallet bars 25, similar to those shown in the Gillespie patent 799,556above referred to. Each of these pallet bars 25 is provided at its outerend with a rectangular opening 10. On the bar 8 at suitable intervalsare placed the studs 9, so positioned that when the bar is set properlyin place the studs will come above their respective pallet bars 25 by adistance equal to the long arm of the bell crank levers 11. Pivoted onthe studs 9 as occasion may re quire, are the bell crank levers 11. Eachof these bell cranks is provided with a round hole 14 at its center ofrotation, which hole is intended to engage with the stud. 9 on the bar8. At the end of its long arm the bell crank is provided with a stud 12which is intended to engage with the slotted opening 10 in the palletbar 25. The short arm of the bell crank lever is provided also with around hole 13, which round hole is intended to engage with the stud 15on the connecting rod 16.

The indorsing bar is assembled substantially as follows: The supportingbar 8 is laid on a table, the bell crank levers 11 are placed on thestuds according to the pallet bars they are intended to connect forsimultaneous operation. The connecting rod 16 is then placed so that thestuds 15 thereon engage with the holes 13 in the bell crank levers thathave previously been placed on the bar 8, after which the latch 17 oneach of the bell cranks is rotated so as to engage with the studs 9 and15, and positively connect the bell thereto. For this purpose each ofthe studs .9 and 15 has an annular groove cut therein with which groovethe recesses 18 and 19 of the latch 17 engage, thus holding all theparts together positively. After having been thus assembled the bar 8and bell cranks assembled thereon may now be placed in the machine inthe manner above described, and the studs 12 on the long arms of thebell cranks are sprung into engagement with the slots in the pallet bars10. If one of these pallet bars that has been connected to a bell crankin the manner above described is driven for the pur ose of counting thevote, it Will cause its bell crank to oscillate and will move theconnecting rod 16 and cause all of the other bell cranks connectedthereto to be oscillated as Well, driving those pallet bars in turn withwhich such pallet bars are connected, so as to secure a simultaneousoperation of all the pallet bars and their counters that are connectedin this Way.

If two different candidates occurring on the same office line shouldeach be indorsed, it will be necessary to use the connecting rod 16 andits bell cranks for the one candidate and the connecting rod 20 and itsbell cranks for the other candidate, each of these connecting rods andits bell cranks being connected of course to the two or more pallet barsthat belong to their respective candidates. The bell cranks connected tothe connecting rod 20 will be made symmetrical with the bell cranks 11,but will be made reverse thereto from right to left in substantially thesame manner as are shown in the two different kinds of bell cranks shownin the patent of Lausterer 847,416 above referred to. This connectingrod 20 with its bell cranks can be assembled on the supporting bar 8 inthe same manner as would be the connecting rod 16 and its bell cranks.

It is apparent that the supporting bar 8 is one continuous bar withoutany obstructions thereon and that by reason of this and the invertedposition of the bell cranks thereon, an eXtra counter can be connectedup so that Where it was not possible to reach the bottom counter and itspallet bar by the construction shown in my prior patent, it is with thisconstruction possible to reach all of the candidate counters on themachine without chang ing the dimensions of the counter frame or thecounter channel.

That I claim as new and patentable is as follows:

1. The combination in a voting machine of a plurality of votingdevices,. supports projecting on either side thereof, a singlelongitudinal supporting bar extending directly between said supports, aplurality of movable parts pivoted thereon, connected to the votingdevices to move with them whenever said devices are moved, and acoupling bar connected to said parts for causing their simultaneousoperation when one of them is operated.

2. In a voting machine, the combination of a counter frame havingoverl'ianging plates at top and bottom, holes there through and suitablyspaced nit-h a supporting bar engaging ith said plates and re movablymounted therein, said bar consisting of a single straight piece havingreduced ends engaging with said holes, and having studs thereon formounting oscillating members thereon.

3. The combination in a voting machine of a pair of supporting plates, astraight bar extending between and into said plates and detachablysupported thereby, studs on said bar and bell cranks pivoted on saidstuds.

4. The combination in a voting machine of a pair of supporting plateshaving holes or sockets therein, a straight bar extending between saidplates and supported thereby, engaging one of said holes with each endthere of, studs on said bar and bell cranks pivoted on said studs.

5. The combination in a voting machine of a pair of plates having holesor sockets therein, a single straight bar extending between one hole ineach of said plates, and mounted stationary therein, studs on said bar,bell cranks detachably mounted on said bar, each of nhich bell crankshas a long arm pointing downward and a short arm at right anglesthereto. v

6. In a voting machine, the combination of a counter frame, counterchannels sup ported therein, said channel containing counters andactuators for driving them, a straight stationary bar mounted directlyin said frame parallel to the counter channels, studs on said bar placeduniformly one above each actuator, bell cranks mounted on said studs,having one arm in engagement faith the actuator next below, means forconnecting the free armsof certain ones of said bell cranks.

7. The combination in a voting machine of a support carrying countersand pallet bars spaced uniformly apart, a straight stationary bar placedparallel to and extending the full length of said support said barhaving studs thereon, each placed a uniform distance above the palletbars, bell cranks mounted on the studs and connected direct by one armeach to a separate pallet bar, and by the other arm to the correspondingarm of the other bell cranks through a connecting rod.

8. The combination in a voting machine of counter actuators, of a pairof supporting plates each provided with holes therethrough, the holes inone plate being difi'erent in size from those in the other plate, astraight bar extending between said plates and having shouldered endsthereon of different sizes to 1it said holes, studs on said bar, meanscarried on said studs to connect a plurality of counter actuators forsimultaneous action.

9. The combination in a voting machine of a pair of supporting plates, astraight bar extending between said plates and connecting them anddetachably supported thereby, studs on said bar and bell cranks pivotedon said studs.

10. The combination in a voting machine of a plurality of votingdevices, supports proj ecting on either side thereof, a longitudinalsupporting bar extending directly between said supports, and detachablysupported thereby, a plurality of movable parts pivoted thereon,connected to the voting devices to move with them vhenever said devicesare moved, and a coupling bar connected to said parts for causing theirsimultaneous operation when one of them is operated.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM J. LAUSTERER.

Witnesses MARTIN L. BADHORN, ALEXANDER B. CoRoILIUs.

